Betrayal
by BookSerpentess
Summary: ON HIATUS. CURRENTLY BEING RE-WRITTEN. A tale of loyalty, trust, love, betrayal, and revenge. Being re-written. COMPLETELY AU, all OOC characters.
1. Prologue

**BETRAYAL. **

_A/N_: Hi there! :3 So, I came up with this idea somewhere in 2010. First I thought about publishing this, but I had doubts, and now they're all cleared- this'll be a fanfiction instead, because it's too similar to Warrior Cats to be published without me being accused of 'copying'. *grimace* I know it's more of a fiction and should go on , but, well… it was originally intended as a Fanfic, so…

So, anyway, this story is completely AU and COMPLETELY different from the Warriors books. Hopefully you'll like it. I've finished up to Chapter 12 on my computer, but I'm doing some serious editing chapter by chapter now whenever I can, so follow this fanfic if you're interested. :3

The explanation of the terms I used in here are below this chapter, so you can refer to it.

**Disclaimer: ****Err... I do not own the basic general idea of **_**Betraya**__**l**_**'s state, i.e. the grouping of cats together and etc., but I do own the plot and characters. **

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**PROLOGUE**

The newborn dark brown tabby kit opened his eyes, to find that he was being carried by a running cat in a mysterious forest. He mewled, wanting to get out of her jaws. Finally the brown tabby she-cat set him down and licked his ears mournfully, and looked down at him. "I love you, my dear son. Remember that… But I can't keep you. It's for your safety… We might meet each other someday," she murmured into her little son's ear, and licked him one last time.

Deep, tear-filled blue-gray eyes stared into beautiful, grass green eyes.

She did not want to look away, for it might be the last time she would ever experience this heartfelt moment. The little tom mewled sorrowfully, not knowing what was making his mother look so sad, wanting to comfort her, stretching out a tiny paw pitifully.

Then, she turned and ran, tears streaming from her eyes uncontrollably, a sob rising in her throat, the pain breaking her. She refused to look back, for if she did she'd never be able to leave the precious bundle she'd left behind for his own sake. The tiny little dark brown tabby kit looked after her, confused, his eyes only showing grief and the young innocence of a little kitten.

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"StarGroup, help my mother! Don't let her die!"

A few miles away, at the same moment the mysterious she-cat had left her son, a young jet black she-kitten hissed and spat in anger. Her eyes were pools of hidden grief. The moment she was born, she had faced torture. First, her father was killed, then her uncle, and now her mother. Her own mother. How dare they try to take her mother's life away! Her family had faced their deaths with dignity, never showing shame, only showing pride.

They tortured her and her family because they were all special rogues. Special rogues were noble, good, and brave cats who could not be defeated in battle. However, because of the Union cat's jealousy, they tortured special rogues. Special rogues knew how to fight from the moment they were born.

The jet black she-kit was held, pinned down under the claws of a Union cat so she could not prevent them from doing the horrible deed.

The yowl of victory that came from the Union cats as her mother breathed her last breath made the young kitten bloodthirsty to kill her enemies and avenge her mother's death, and it made her full of rage. Her piercing yellow eyes hardened. When she got out of here, alone or not, she could teach these Union cats a lesson they would never, ever forget! And then they would respect special rogues forever! _I won't let my parents down, I'll make them proud of me, and I will avenge their deaths!_ she thought fiercely.

The little she-kit turned and bit down hard upon the Union cat's paw that was holding her down, anger giving her the strength she needed desperately. Her enemy hissed in pain, blood seeping out, and he unintentionally released her. She sneaked away into the darkness, her piercing yellow eyes glinting darkly.

The Union cat which she'd bitten looked around, confused and angry. When he looked in the opposite direction, that's when she made her move.

He ended up dead, a vicious slit across his throat. The cats surrounding him yowled in surprise; they hadn't seen what she'd done.

One of them, a jet black tom, raised his blood red eyes, looking into the shadows. Maybe there even was a hint of fear in them. The she-kit smirked mercilessly. _Cowards_, she thought. The cruel smile lingered on her face and she slithered into the trees, into the mysterious darkness that awaited her.

That's when she earned her name, the legendary name that would cast terrors into the hearts of Union cats, the name that was respected among special rogues, the name of the cat who wanted a normal life for her kind, the name of the cat who wanted revenge on the cats who took an innocent kitten's chance for a happy future away; Shadow.

How was it? Did you like it? :D Review for me, please? And if you liked it, favourite it and follow? :3

_Explanation of the terms used: _

'**Special rogue' is just a random term that popped into my head a long time ago. No, they're not immortal - about that, you'll learn more in the story, but not now – they're just hard to beat. But the CAN be killed. **

'**Union cat'- well, uh, my original name for it was 'Tribe cat' because I couldn't find anything better, but, I searched for a good fifteen minutes in my good old thesaurus and looked carefully around it for a just-as-good-term, and found Union. I guess it's not that bad, isn't it? What do you think? (: I hope I didn't miss changing out any of the Tribe terms yet… Let me know if you saw any errors! **

'**StarGroup' is the special rogues' version of the Clan cats' StarClan. **


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's Chapter 1! Enjoy! (: Don't forget, review and follow+favourite if you liked it! :3**

******Disclaimer: ****I do not own the basic general idea of **_**Betraya**__**l**_**'s state, i.e. the grouping of cats together and etc., but I do own the plot and characters. **

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**CHAPTER 1**

A young dark brown tabby tom stalked a bird in the undergrowth of his home. His grass green eyes glinted- he was sure that he was going to be successful.

"Sky! Hurry up!" called a female cat's voice from a distance.

Sky grimaced. This was his third hunt without Mum or Dad to advise and watch him. He had almost reached the bird, when, suddenly, a stick came flying through the air, landing near Sky. The bird turned and spotted Sky, and then started to fly away in fright.

Sky growled under his breath. His elder sister, Blue, probably did that. She _always _did something to annoy him. She hated all her littermates, including Sky and his sweet little younger sister, Star. Sky himself had named his sister, his mother had let him after his suggestion. The young she-kit had seemed so much like a bright shining star, lighting up the air with her presence, her peaceful blue eyes looking up, glinting happily.

_Blue thinks she's always the boss here. But I'll show her what a good hunter I am, no matter what disturbs me! _Sky thought defiantly. Unsheathing his claws, he jumped through the air and caught the bird easily. He fell back to the ground, with it dead in his jaws. _Thank you for this bird that gives us life_, he thought, but he did not know whom he was thanking. It was just instinct that told him to do it.

Feeling triumphant, he whipped around (as he had expected she was behind him) and glared at the dull-furred, bluish-grayish she-cat that was his elder sister. The look on her face told him that she _had _thrown the stick. He dropped the bird to the ground. "See? I don't need your silly jokes!" he spat. He was _fed up!_

A beautiful snow white she-cat ran over from behind some bushes, where she'd been watching Sky. "Wow! This is a plump bird, Sky! How did you catch it? Please teach me!" she begged, her eyes shining with admiration. Sky smiled at her. "Maybe when you're older, Star. Just wait for some time. You're almost ready, like Dad said," he advised.

"Well, all right. But I still can't wait!" Star jumped up and down in excitement.

Blue rolled her eyes at Sky and Star. "Don't forget, I'm in charge whenever we go hunting! I'm older anyway." She hissed at Sky and stalked away, vanishing into a bush. "We're going home. And I'm telling mum what a lousy catch you got!" she yowled behind her shoulder.

Sky spat after her. "Lousy rabbit brained she-cat!" he muttered under his breath. "Let's go, Star."He picked up his bird and followed with Star close behind him.

When they reached home, Blue was already there. Sky slipped into the hole that was their entrance in a tree, followed by Star. His mum, a beautiful tortoiseshell, whose name was Orchid, looked up and stared in amazement at his bird. Before she could say anything, Sky's father, Fierce, broke in. "What a wonderful catch, Sky! Really good. "

Sky grinned at his father. "Thanks, Dad!"

Fierce smiled and dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Now, Blue" he said, turning to Sky's elder sister. "Why did you say his catch was disgusting and not well-caught?" Fierce frowned at his daughter.

"It _was_ horrible!" Blue hissed.

"Dad, Blue threw a stick, and it alarmed the bird! But Sky managed to catch it!" Star snapped, before Sky, Fierce, or Orchid could say anything.

Fierce glared at Blue. "Now, stop annoying everyone, would you? Go do something useful and collect some bedding!"

A boring job, but useful anyway.

Blue growled under her breath and stomped out, shooting a glare at Sky. Sky glared after her.

Orchid started to wash Star, cleaning bits of twigs and leaves out of her fur. Star shook her off. "I can do that, Mum!" she protested, and started to do it herself.

Orchid smiled and watched, while Fierce paced around. "We must do something about Blue" he was murmuring under his breath. "We must!"

Sky washed himself, cleaning out bits of leaves and twigs out of his pelt. Why was Blue so arrogant? Why did she hate him so much? Was there something… _wrong_ with her? Or was it himself?

Shaking the thoughts off, he curled into his nest of moss and fell asleep.

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Shadow walked in the forest where she currently lived- a break from her _annoying_ friend Haze. He followed her everywhere, sticking to her like moss to a rock, but today she strictly made him stay in the cave where they lived so she could take a peaceful walk alone.

Shadow's ears twitched and she could hear a large crow darting through the trees at her. When it was above her, she leaped high and unsheathed her claws, grasping it tight and snapping its neck. She dropped to the ground, the crow hanging limp in her jaws.

Shadow gazed at her formidable catch, satisfaction rising inside her. It would last Haze and her the whole day, at least. _Thank you, StarGroup, for this eagle_, she thought.

She picked the eagle up and half-dragged, half-carried it to her home, careful to let the bird sweep the forest floor that had no filthy things or dung on it. When she reached the cave, Haze gazed at her catch, his eyes wide.

"That is absolutely impressive, Shadow! How did you catch it? I haven't seen one in ages! You're a wonderful hunter!" Haze praised as if he were Shadow's father. He praised her all the time like this when she did something. Once in a while, praises were okay, but when it got too often Shadow got impatient.

"I see huge birds like this one all the time! And you're not dumb, you were taught how to catch food! Why don't you try looking at the sky more often instead of staring at me all the time? It's annoying" Shadow snapped, dropping the eagle.

Haze looked hurt. "Sorry, Shadow. But you're a wonderful hunter, you know".

Shadow sighed. She knew he praised her a lot because he _liked_ her. _Liked_, as in a crush way. But she didn't want him to be her mate, she wanted a tom who had a real, good personality and didn't follow her around just because she was beautiful. One who was really loyal to her. She had a tough life, she was orphaned at a young age, treated like dung, and finally she escaped torture and learned to live by herself, to hunt, to fight enemies and predators. She just bumped into Haze one day, and he wanted to live with her.

She lashed her tail, and walked out of their shared den. "I'm going for a walk," she shot at Haze behind her shoulder with a snarl. "And don't _bother_ following me."

She stalked away, heading for her favourite spot.

Shadow weaved through the trees, until she came to the tree she was looking for. She unsheathed her claws and jumped up, clawing her way higher and higher up the tree- right until she reached the top.

She sat down on a gently swaying branch and perched on it comfortably, letting her gaze linger on the slowly setting sun.

The orange colors weaving around her fascinated her to no end.

_Until the colors turned blood red and she flinched. _


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating as fast as I've been normally doing nowadays! I've just come up with a new Harry Potter fanfiction – Agony, with main characters Theodore Nott and Hermione Granger – if you want, you can go take a look. I'm really sorry about leaving this one a while. :S **

**Anyway, review and tell me what you think of Chapter 2, and for any new readers, follow + favourite if you liked it, please! :D**

******Disclaimer: ****I do not own the basic general idea of **_**Betraya**__**l**_**'s state, i.e. the grouping of cats together and etc., but I do own the plot and characters. **

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**CHAPTER 2**

_Sky found himself in a field, with some unknown cats by his side. Suddenly, another group of cats appeared, leading them there was Blue. Yowling, she launched herself across the field at Sky. She pinned Sky down and he braced himself to find her teeth digging into his neck…_

Sky woke up, his heart beating really fast. He waited for his heart to calm down. _It was just a dream, just a dream_, he thought, trying to reassure himself. But a nagging thought pulled at him. _What if it was going to be true?_

Sky pushed the terrifying memories of the dream and his thoughts off. _Don't be silly. _Of course they weren't true. His sister, even if she hated him, wouldn't attack him, would she? Maybe she would… maybe not. He shrugged, not wanting to think about it, stood up and shook pieces off moss off his pelt.

He walked over to the leftovers from yesterday. He took a mouse and ate. Star settled down next to him, eating a bird. When they were done, they headed outside to see that his father and Blue were waiting next to the big pond that was near their home.

"Ah, there you are, Sky, and Star. Good morning. Today we are practicing on how to swim. First, you can try and swim on your own," Fierce meowed. He jumped into the water and swam around. "I'll help if you are struggling. Blue, you get in first, and then Sky, then you, Star."

"But, why, father?" whined Blue.

"Now, now, swimming might come in handy in the future, Blue. Now get in."

_I love swimming! Well, as long as the water's clean. Anyway, this pond is clear ,_ Sky thought.

Sky walked to the edge of the pond, with Star and Blue next to him. Blue jumped in, splashing water everywhere. Sky slid in the pond easily, and swam around, managing not to splash water. Then, Star jumped in, and started to swim.

In the middle of the afternoon, the time when it was very hot, Blue, Sky, and Star were quite confident in the water. Then, Fierce got out of the pool and shook himself.

"Blue, as usual, you are in charge. Keep in the pond if you like, I'm going to take a short nap. This sun on my face is making me drowsy." Yawning, Fierce went in their home, curling up in his nest.

Sky swam around the pond. He stopped to relax for a while. All seemed peaceful.

_For a moment. _

Suddenly, unsheathed paws gripped his belly and pushed him under the water level. Struggling and spluttering, Sky knew again it was Blue. Sky whipped around in the water and turned face-to-face with Blue. But suddenly, one of her unsheathed paws gripped his neck, and he felt a horrible pain in neck. He fell limp, starting to feel death wash over him. The unsheathed paws tore at his belly for a while, then let go. Sky felt himself sink. But he was not going to give up that easily.

Sky forced his eyes open and tried to swim, even though pain was tearing at his neck and belly wounds. He finally reached the top of the water level, and breathed a sigh of relief. He took in air, and tried to swim to land. Finally, when he reached it, he suddenly saw Star, lying on the ground, limp. Panick gripped him. That was his last sight and feeling before darkness closed over him.

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Sky opened his eyes and saw his mother leaning anxiously over him. "Are you all right, dear? I can't believe you survived drowning, even with those horrible wounds! You're a survivor, darling!" Orchid started licking his ears, purring at him. Sky purred back. "I'm fine, Mum. But where's Blue?" Sky's expression turned serious. "And is Star okay?"

"Star is all right, dear… and Blue is out hunting, why?"

"What!" Sky cried, jumping up and ignoring his mum's huff. "Out hunting? But she needs to be here… S-she attacked me and pulled me underwater, and she attacked Star too!"

Orchid stiffened with shock, staring at him.

"It's true, Mum," Sky urged her to believe him.

"B-Blue did it? Y-your sister? That's horrible! Blue told Fierce and I a badger attacked you both but finally she fended it off! That liar! " Flower bristled angrily.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Blue always hated me." Sky muttered."And are you sure Star's all right? What did she say?"

"Star's all right, darling. She told us she was swimming, and then she suddenly saw you drowning with Blue with a triumphant smirk on her face, and then she felt a blow to her head. She couldn't remember anything after that." Orchid meowed.

Star suddenly ran over inside the hollow. Sky hadn't seen her there. "You're alive! You're alive! Yay!" Star yowled, and launched herself joyfully at him. "You're alive, Sky!" she yowled again, and licked his ears. Sky purred and licked her ears back and smiled. "Well, I'm surprised too".

"But is Blue's story true? It's not, isn't it? She pulled you down under the water, didn't she? And who saved you?" Star questioned.

"Blue is lying, she _did_ pull me down under the water and no one saved me," Sky answered all the questions in order.

"No one saved you? Are you serious? You saved yourself? That's fantastic!"Orchid broke in, before Star could say anything. "That is unbelievable, Sky!" Fierce praised, padding to Sky's nest.

Sky shuffled his paws as praises babbled from his parents' and sister's mouths. Suddenly, Blue burst in, carrying two birds and a mouse. She padded to the pile of food, but stopped when she saw Sky. "You're alive?" she spat, dropping the food in shock.

With a vicious, angry snarl, Blue launched herself at Fierce. Gasping, Fierce lay dead on the floor.

Star was frozen with shock and grief, and before Sky could do anything Blue had launched herself at their mother and killed her as well. Sky snarled and launched himself at Blue, rolling her away from Orchid's lifeless, still body. "How could you? She is our mother! We need her and Dad!" Sky slammed her down, baring his teeth at her in anger.

"She's not your mother, and Fierce isn't your dad!" Blue spat at him, struggling under him.

Sky unconsciously released his grip, shocked.

"W-WHAT?!"

Star was crouching in terror at the side of the hollow, her fur bristling and her eyes wide with horror.

Triumphantly Blue rolled him over in his shock and pinned him down. "You're an orphan, Sky! I was there when Mum and Dad found you in the forest on a hunting trip! They adopted you!"

"That's not true!" Sky spat at her.

"You'd better believe it". Snarling and spitting, Blue released Sky and ran off, not before nipping his ear sharply. The tender flesh stung. "I'll have my revenge on you!"

Sky got up, staring after her.

"I can't believe it... I mean… and if she hated me so much, why didn't she just kill me?"

"I think it's because she knows what a great fighter you are. She knew she couldn't beat you." Star stood, eyes glazed with grief.

Sky's fur bristled. Was it true?

Now that he thought of it… He could not remember opening his eyes in the hollow where they lived. The first cat he'd seen was a mysterious brown she-cat… But he'd always dismissed the memory, thinking it was only a dream.

Was it true?

There was a big possibility.

She walked over to him and nuzzled his shoulder. "I really thought you were my brother. And I can't believe Mum and Dad are…" Star looked away sadly.

Sky nuzzled her back, pain taking control of him for a moment, and his heart throbbed. Tears gathered, but he blinked them away. He'd have time for tears later.

"I know, Star. It's sad. But we'll get our revenge on Blue. Mum and Dad wouldn't have… died…" Sky choked on the words. "In vain. I assure you." He lifted his chin.

Star nodded, and gazed up at him, pride shimmering in her eyes. "I'm proud of you – and I don't care if you're my real brother or not. Because, to me, you _are_ my brother."

He gazed down into her soothing eyes and felt calm wash over him. He licked her ears. "And I you, sister."

They stayed like that for a moment, Sky's muzzle resting on the top of Star's head, both thinking about their now dead family.

Then they stirred. "I think we'd better find somewhere else to live, Star." Sky glanced at the hollow behind them.

She nodded, grimacing. "Yeah… I couldn't bear staying there anymore."

He nodded, understanding.

They walked in silence, savoring the quiet for a while.

Sky glanced around, suddenly uneasy.

Was someone nearby?

Rustling sounded, and the pair stiffened. Sky unsheathed his claws and glared into the forest.

"Who's there?" he called suspiciously.

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**A/N: Yeah, I know it's kinda fast… I'm sorry about that. :L Well, I wrote this a long time ago and now I'm just doing some serious editing and re-writing, and I spread it out as much as I could, but, well, I guess I should do more next time if I can.**

**Anyways… thank you for reading! :D I'll update again as soon as I can. **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: New chapter. Shorter that I usually do, but... Hope it's satisfactory, at least. Enjoy. ^^ Tell me what you think! (: **"**The thing about writing, is that whether you're doing it well or doing it poorly, it looks the exact same."****- John Green****. EXACTLY. Well, it looks the same to the author, of course. :(**

**For new readers, don't forget to follow + favourite! :D**

******Disclaimer: ****I do not own the basic general idea of **_**Betraya**__**l**_**'s state, i.e. the grouping of cats together and etc., but I do own the plot and characters. **

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

There was another rustle, and a beautiful black she-cat stalked calmly out of a bush, piercing yellow eyes curious.

Sky relaxed, but only a bit. At least it wasn't Blue.

He eyed her with the same interest. "Who are you?"

She sat opposite him, a tail-length away, and curled her tail over her paws. "I am called Shadow."

He blinked. "I'm Sky, and this is my foster sister, Star."

"Foster?"

"Sky isn't my biological brother. We found out after our parents were killed by my sister," Star spoke up, voice trembling slightly.

Shadow dipped her head, eyes shadowed with grief. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Sky sighed. "We are, too."

There was silence for a few moments, then Shadow lifted her head. Before she could speak, Sky blurted out, "Are you a threat to us?"

He grimaced in his head. He hadn't meant to say it so bluntly.

The elegant she-cat, however, didn't seem offended. She merely smirked at him. "No, Sky, I'm not. I am a friend." She cocked her head. "And a fellow special rogue." She lifted her tail and waved it slightly, as if it was a sign of greeting.

Sky hadn't known what a special rogue was, but somehow… he did. As if by instinct, he found his tail mimicking her action.

Star stared at him, confused. "What-?"

"I don't know how I did that!" Sky was irritated. Why couldn't things slow down for a bit? Everything seemed to fly past so fast! How in the world did he know what a special rogue was? How did he know the tail-greeting?

Shadow looked surprised. "You don't know?"

"Know _what_?" he snapped.

"That you are a special rogue," she said, seemingly not irritated with his attitude.

"No, I _don't_, or maybe I do, I don't know!" Sky lashed his tail.

"I'll explain to you, then-"

"Shadow, who are these cats?" interrupted an unknown voice. Sky whipped around to see a gray tabby tom watching them warily, hackles raised.

"Friends," Shadow said flatly. "Go away, Haze, I have to explain something to Sky and Star here."

The tom scowled and stomped off, fur bristling angrily.

"Who was _that_?" Star asked, eyeing him.

"He lives with me," Shadow said dismissively. "Don't bother about him. Now, Sky…" she turned to him.

"Do you want me to explain to you about your situation?"

"Yeah," Sky replied. "I'm really confused."

Shadow looked away from him, instead watching the clouds move slowly across the sky. "Tell me… what is your earliest memory?"

"I… I remember being carried by a she-cat," Sky began, turning his gaze to watch her. He should be wary of spilling his secrets to her, but something about her assured him that she was no enemy. "She was my mother- I think. She left me in a forest, while after probably escaping from something. I opened my eyes then."

Shadow turned to him. "Then, I think that you were abandoned in that forest for the sake of your own. Your mother probably wanted to save you from the fate that is of every special rogue born into Union cat camps."

"Union cats?" asked Star.

Shadow glanced at her. "Special rogue's enemies."

"What _are_ you and Sky, exactly?"

She smiled. "We are special rogues – cats that are difficult to defeat in battle, cats that were given a special awareness of the world around us, and occasionally some of us are gifted with special powers."

Sky knew this. Again, somehow.

Star's eyes were bright with interested. "Some of you have special powers?"

Shadow hesitated, her eyes slightly guarded for some reason. "Yes… But for generations now, not many of us have been given the gift."

"Oh."

Sky stared at Shadow. "So she abandoned me to save me?"

"Yes," she replied. "You are not the only one. The mothers that can, try to save their kits." Shadow's eyes lost their guardedness, instead replaced by anger. "Better the kittens get eaten by a fox than survive the torture from Tribe cats."

"I see…" Sky lowered his gaze to his paws. What would life had been like if there were no Union cats? Better, of course. Much. He would know his mother, and would have known her…

Shadow rested her tail-tip on his shoulder gently. He looked into her eyes, which were suddenly gentle, and he felt drawn into them… He suddenly, _fully_ realized that she was _jaw-droppingly beautiful_.

He didn't know how long they stood there, just like that, staring into each other's eyes, until Star cleared her throat, and they broke apart. Sky flushed under his pelt in embarrassment when he saw the amusement and the knowing look in her eye (for so young a cat, she certainly was observant. But of course, what did he expect, she _was_ Star).

"We should hunt," said Shadow suddenly. The other two nodded in agreement, and they all split up.

Sky pricked his ears, hearing a mouse scuttling among the roots of a tree. He lowered into a stealthy crouch, taking care not to step onto any branches on the ground.

Oddly, Sky felt like taking a risk. He didn't feel this feeling very often.

_You and your idiotic stumpy legs couldn't reach that mouse,_ he heard Blue's sneering voice in his head.

_Bet I could_, he shot back, imagining the conversation.

Gathering all the strength into his haunches, he launched himself into a massive leap that crossed at least two and a half fox-lengths, capturing the mouse in between his paws. _Got you!_ He dealt a swift bite to its neck and stood, the prey hanging limply in his jaws.

_Ha! Told you I could, Blue,_ he visualized himself smirking back at Blue's infuriated face.

"Good catch!" Shadow's voice broke through Sky's thoughts. He shook them away and turned to her. "Thwanks," he mumbled around the mouse.

Sky glanced at the huge pigeon at her paws, and let his jaw relax, letting the mouse drop. "_Whoa_," he breathed, eyes widening. "That is one big pigeon!"

She smiled at him, and suddenly, Sky found his heart beating faster. "Thank you."


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hullo, followers/favourites/everyone – I am SO, SO SORRY about the late update D: Well, school's starting next week so I'm kinda busy nowadays. But I PROMISE, during school time, if I can't update twice a week, I will on every Saturday. It won't be regular, though.**

**Anyway… enjoy! (:**

******Disclaimer: ****I do not own the basic general idea of **_**Betraya**__**l**_**'s state, i.e. the grouping of cats together and etc., but I do own the plot and characters. **

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

Sky blinked as sunlight shone brightly on his face. He looked around slowly at the gray stone walls. _Where am I?_ he wondered, wondering why he wasn't in his family's hollow like usual.

Then he remembered; the murder of his foster parents, him and Star's meeting with Shadow and Haze, and the hunting. His heart ached at the memory of his caretakers since he was a kitten. He missed them so much… He sighed quietly and glanced down, noticing that moss was tucked under him.

He must have made a nest last night. He couldn't remember that, though_. _He watched Shadow's flank rise and fall beside him, feeling peace wash over him for a while.

Sky sat up. Star was sleeping next to him, her paw covering her dainty little nose. She had small pieces of debris stuck in her pelt. He looked at the tiny pile of prey near them. Who caught that?

His movement woke both Shadow and Star. Shadow smiled at Sky and started to wash her fur. Star yawned and shook herself.

"Good morning, Shadow, Star," Sky meowed, smiling back at them.

Shadow finished washing herself. She sat up. She looked at the pile of food that Star had brought, blinking. "Who caught that?"

Haze stirred. "I did," he slurred, drowsy with sleep.

Shadow turned and stared at him, as if surprised. "You mean, you, a lazy lump, caught this on your own?"

He flinched a little. "Yes, I did," he said, sounding defensive. "Is that really so surprising, Shadow?"

"Yes, it is," she replied flatly and promptly turned her back on him. Sky glanced at Haze and followed her, sitting down next to her. He felt a triumphant feeling rising in his chest, but he pushed the odd, out-of-the-blue feeling down.

The others each took a piece of the pile and ate in silence.

When they finished, Shadow turned to Sky abruptly. "Come outside with me."

Sky nodded and glanced at Star. She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll be fine here. Maybe I'll go talk a walk… Get to know the place."

"Be careful," Sky advised his sister, and walked outside after the black she-cat.

She was already walking ahead of him. He sped up to catch up with her.

Shadow did not speak for some time. Then, finally:

"I don't trust Haze. I think he's a spy from the Union cats. He never talks about special rogues, and when I mention about special rogues or StarGroup, he changes the subject nervously." Shadow's lip curled. "That's why I don't want him to be my mate. In case you've noticed his ridiculous advances."

Sky looked at Shadow. "Yeah, well, they're kind of obvious. But then… Why does he live with you?"

Shadow snickered – not at him, but at Haze. "We just bumped into each other one day, and he insisted to live with me in the cave where I live. I think he just follows me around because he thinks I'm beautiful". She shrugged.

"You are beautiful," Sky meowed. Shadow smiled shyly at him. "Well, thanks…"

Sky smiled and licked her ear.

They continued for a while, then Sky asked a question that he'd wanted to know the answer of since yesterday.

"How do you know?"

"Know what?"

"About…" Sky swallowed. "About my past. Why my mother left me there in that forest."

Shadow didn't answer, instead, watching him warily.

~.~.~

Suddenly, a rustle sounded in the bushes. And another.

Shadow stood up, her fur bristling. Star flattened her ears and Sky snarled.

The blue gray she cat that had called Shadow and Haze rabbit brains stepped out, followed by a few other cats.

"Blue! What are you doing here?" Sky hissed.

"So," Blue sneered."Your mate, Sky? Pathetic, just pathetic. A rabbit brain, just like you are. Well, she won't last long!"

Before Sky could do anything, Shadow launched herself at Blue. Shadow instantly pinned Blue down. "_You_ won't last long, and _you're_ the rabbit brain, not Sky or me!" she spat in her face.

Sky and Star blinked. They hadn't even seen Shadow move. They saw blood oozing out of Blue's fur.

Defeated, Blue snarled and went limp, trying to trick Shadow. But Shadow didn't bunch.

One of Blue's followers attacked Shadow, and she snarled at the lot threateningly. The follower backed off and ran, frightened. Slowly, one by one, the rest ran after him.

"Your followers aren't properly trained," Shadow sneered, extending a claw in front of Blue's eyes. "They are mere cowards." Shadow loosened her grip on purpose, and Blue pushed her off.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" she hissed at Sky and Shadow, and ran off. Her followers raced after her.

Sky glared after Blue, half anger, half confusion, and then looked at Shadow. "How do you fight so excellently? I never even saw you move, and-"

"You pinned her down in a flash!" Star interrupted.

"Being swift and deadly always scares an enemy," Shadow blinked, embarrassed by the praises.

"How did you learn how to fight like that?" Star asked before Sky could even say a word.

"By myself," Shadow meowed. She swallowed. She hoped they wouldn't ask any more questions…

"That is so cool!" Sky and Star said together, eyes wide.

Shadow smiled at them reassuringly.

They relaxed together again, resting underneath a tree.

As they did, Shadow recalled a memory;

"_The first thing in battle- let your emotions flow. Do not hold your emotions back. Remember the times you suffered from them. The sadness that breaks your heart, the want for revenge- that is what will give you the strength to attack and defeat the enemy. " Shadow raked her penetrating yellow gaze over some special rogues who had requested for her to train them so they could get her revenge. _

"_Attack me" she ordered to a ginger tom. Instantly he lunged at her, claws sheathed, rolled her over and pinned her. _

"_Good. Remember; being swift and deadly scares a coward and makes a strong enemy nervous" Shadow meowed and pushed the tom off. _

"_What will make the enemy more nervous and possibly scare him off?" Shadow asked._

"_I know! Threaten him or her!" a small young gray tabby meowed from behind._

"_Correct. But what sometimes makes a battle interesting is to tease the enemy. Mostly works, that is, if you put all your anger and rage into the words. Sometimes, words can kill." Shadow advised. _

"_Yes, Shadow." The special rogues nodded, eager for more._

"_You are now ready for your battles."_

"_What? Already?"_

"_Yes, indeed. All you need is advice. On the way, practice, too. Think that you can defeat a whole army. Put your anger into it. Gives you the strength, makes you know that you shall defeat the enemy."_

_The special rogues looked impressed. "Thank you, Shadow."_

"_No need. I love to see my fellow brother and sister special rogues go into attack against their former torturers. One day, I will get my revenge, too."_

"_So…we are ready to get our revenge?"_

"_Yes, you all are. Now, go! Get your revenge! Show Union cats our power!"_

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**A/N: How was this chappie? Review and tell me what you think! :D **

**Follow + favourite if you liked it, and thank you for reading! **


	6. Chapter 5

**Hiya. So, new chappie! Enjoy. (: **

**If you've been paying attention to Shadow's behavior, you might figure out the answer in this chapter.**

******Disclaimer: ****I do not own the basic general idea of **_**Betraya**__**l**_**'s state, i.e. the grouping of cats together and etc., but I do own the plot and characters. **

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**CHAPTER 5**

Blue blinked angrily. _How dare that black she- cat sneer at me!_ she thought.

Blood, a Union cat who was now her new ally, looked at her. "Defeated?" he guessed.

"Yes, and she dared pin me down!" snarled Blue.

Blood straightened and blinked. "Who is 'she'?"

"A jet black she cat. She pinned me down, and I didn't even see her move!"

"What color were her eyes?"

"Yellow. Her eyes penetrate through you like claws."

"I know this cat." Blood's voice shivered, his body trembled.

"Who is she?" Blue demanded.

"She is famous among all special rogues for her battle moves. She has trained many special rogues to defeat Union cats for seasons."

"How old is she?"

"No one knows, but there's a rumor she is quite young, about one year, I think."

_Only a little younger than Sky_, Blue thought grudgingly.

"Why is she so special?"

"Well…"

"Well… what?" Blue snapped.

"She is immortal."

"B-but how?"

"She was born at the time of a lunar eclipse."

"So?"

"Special rogues born at that time are either traitors or immortal. The immortal ones are deadly, believe me. Deadly, loyal only to their own kind. They kill Union cats on sight if they can. However, they face more torture than normal special rogues."

Blue shivered, for the first time. "What is her name?"

"Her name is…" Blood hesitated.

"What?" Blue demanded.

"Shadow."

"Isn't that a male name?"

"Are you rabbit brained? Of course not! It is a male and female name."

Blue narrowed her eyes. "Why are special rogues so different from Union cats and normal rogues?"

"Because they are given power by their ancestors to be difficult to beat in battle. They are sometimes impossible to defeat; but the immortal ones cannot die unless their ancestors decide so."

Blue's eyes widened. "Then, how do normal special rogues die?"

"Only natural causes, such as old age."

"Who are their ancestors?"

"They are called StarGroup by special rogues and DarkTribe by us."

"Then what do they call Union ancestors?" Blue shivered.

"DarkGroup."

"Why?"

"I am _not_ your question answerer."

Blue rolled her eyes. "I never knew this stuff!"

"I do not like answering too many questions. If I am in the mood I shall answer it tomorrow or maybe next time."

Blue sighed, exasperated. "So Sky is in love with an immortal..."

Blood glanced at her. "Who's Sky?"

"My rabbit brained foster brother."

"Foster brother?"

"My parents found him in the woods as a newborn kit."

Blood nodded. "I see."

Blue unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground as if the ground was Sky's fur. "What do you see, eh? Why did my parents take him in?"

"Because he is a special rogue."

"Huh?"

"Special rogue mothers sometimes leave their kits in the woods alone far from Union cats."

"Why?"

"Because then Union cats will force the kit to watch their families die in front of them. Tribe cats will torture the kit."

"But why won't the special rogue kits just die in the forest?"

Blood sighed impatiently. "Because they are invincible! Well, not exactly, but even from hunger, they can still be strong. Even if they are only kits."

Blue rolled her eyes at his impatience. "Then how do we defeat them?"

"With cunning."

"Why not an army?"

"That too, but special rogues trained by Shadow herself can defeat an army of a thousand cats."

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**A/N: Thank you for reading! :D Review and tell me your opinion… PRETTY PLEASE? :3 Follow + favourite if you liked this fanfic! **

**AND if you paid attention in the prologue, the cat with blood red eyes is Blood. ^^**

**I hope there weren't any mistakes - *yawn* - my eyes are kinda drooping… And if I didn't see any old mistakes putting Tribe cats instead of replacing them with my new term - Union – please tell me! Sorry if I did. D: **

**Anyway, next update next Saturday! :] Don't forget to review! :D Once again, I really appreciate your time for reading this – although it is abnormally short… **


	7. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hi, guys. Yes, I know, I know, I haven't updated this story. My mind is a constant jumble and ideas are evading me and my exams are just around the corner and my teachers have fallen irreversibly in love with the idea of projects.

In case you've been waiting for an update, I'm just saying, the next update will _probably_ be in December. I'll try my best.

Thanks!


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